how to hoe...

[salome2001]

excuse the probably dumb questions but... I've just bought a hand held double hoe (blade on one side, prongs on the other). Am I right in thinking the blade end should be sharpened to hoe with (because it is blunt as out of the plastic), and the prongs are for breaking up the soil?

[snakeshack]

needs to be sharp as with any edged tool

[donnakebab]

As above. The idea of the blade is to chop off the weeds at ground level so the sharper the better.

[singleseeder]

I heard Bob Flowerdew say that he sharpens his hoe every 10mins or so as he works.

[Aberdeenplotter]

he must have very stony ground or a hoe made from soft metal if he needs to do that. My best hoe is made from old steel and is about 8" wide. gets a rub with a file at the start of the season and works perfectly without needing a re sharpen despite being used virtually everyu day during the season.

[Two_Sheds]

Salome, I have one of those, I don't hoe at all but it's very useful for scraping out drills for sowing peas into

[VirginVegGrower]

I have one too and the prong I use as an allium weeder or for narrow rows. The other I use as a drill puller as TS ^^ says or on it's side as a hoe for wider spacings. I love mine and I never have to sharpen it, as it's razor sharp as it is.